A registered sex offender has been confirmed as a candidate in the upcoming Hartlepool by-elections.
Christopher ______, who is on the ballot for the May 6 vote, was sentenced for voyeurism last year for filming a naked woman in a hotel room while she was asleep.
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Christopher ______ has since moved to Hartlepool where he is seeking to stand for MP [Member of Parliament].
Asked whether he intended to tell the electorate about his convictions, he said: “I started this process planning to tell everyone, but I got a bit frightened.
“I do understand how it will be difficult for some people, perhaps everyone, to trust me.
“When I didn’t put the sex offence on my election leaflet, I did that because I wanted to see what whether I’d be ‘found out‘.
“I suppose I knew it was going to come out eventually. I’ve been punished and I’m still being punished.”
He continued: “I filmed (the woman) five years ago, and I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I did. It was a mistake and I wouldn’t do it again.
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Christopher ______ moved to Hartlepool from London just a few weeks ago, and said he’s already faced backlash for his history.
He was “kicked out” from the Airbnb where he was originally lodging, after he failed to disclose his position on the Sexual Offender’s Register to his hosts.
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Before relocating to the North East, he had also asked for nominations to become MP on the website Next Door, which is a hyperlocal social networking service for neighbourhoods.
“It was my first port of call, and most people told me to go away” he explained. “If I had listened to them, I wouldn’t be here now.
“I know there is going to be a lot of negativity, but I feel that if I don’t try, I will never know whether I can make impact or impression in politics. And it’s always been my ambition to be an MP.
“I’m doing an experiment to see how much publicity I can get. Not by speaking about the offence I committed, but by speaking about the stuff I really care about.